As back pain has become more and more common among the aging Baby Boomer population, many approaches to back pain treatment have been developed both to alleviate their pain and to assist them in keeping their backs healthy enough to avoid further acute back pain episodes.

If you have back pain which does not respond to an over-the-counter medication, and keeps returning, you should consult a doctor or chiropractor. Untreated back pain will not only interfere with your ability to live your life; it can cause you overall physical condition to deteriorate to a debilitating degree.

Types Of Back Pain Treatment

Back pain therapy is available in a variety of forms, from medicating, to exercise and stretching, to nutritional supplements, stress reduction techniques, chiropractic manipulation and acupuncture, to surgery. There is almost certain to be something which will help you.

The usual back pain treatment is a combination of medication and physical or chiropractic therapy. The medication is usually prescribed to manage the back pain, and will be chosen depending on the type of back injury which is causing the pain. Muscles in spasm will normally be treated with muscle relaxants; nerve pain is treated with anti-inflammatories. The most severe pain may demand opioids, which are morphine derivatives and must be administered with extreme care.

The use of medication as back pain treatment is usually discontinued when the pain becomes manageable; at that point physical therapy or chiropractic manipulation can be employed the pain from returning while you learn proper exercises which will help you avoid a repeat of your back trouble.

Acupuncture is a successful back pain treatment, but is effective only temporarily, and should be done in conjunction with more long-term back pain treatments. It is ideal for those who would prefer not too use back pain medication.

Taking Care Of Yourself

Learning to take car of your back is one of the most effective back pain treatments you will ever find. Correct posture and lifting techniques, getting a back supporting mattress, and paying attention to the things that exacerbate your back problems are all things you can do to help yourself.

Keeping your spine correctly aligned is the single most important back pain treatment you will ever need.

If you cannot do anything else at least try to stand up once a day. Here is a good exercise to do when you are on bed rest. Lie on your stomach and prop yourself up by your elbows. Slowly and gently push up so that your hips remain on the floor and your stomach and chest are lifted up. Do this as far as you can without overextending yourself. After this, roll onto your back and insert a rolled up towel under your lower back.

If you perform this exercise for three or four days and find no relief it may be because your pain is not centered in your lower back. If you feel the pain more to one side than the other you can modify this exercise. The way you do this is to go ahead and lie down. Then shift your hips away from the side with the pain. Then go ahead with the exercise as described in the above.